Railroad-switch



UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE."

THOMAS .s. TAYLOR, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

RAlLROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,310, dated February 10, 1880.

Application filed December 2, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, 'lnoMAs S. TAYLOR, of Fort Wayne; in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inven tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

' This invention relates to a novel and peculiar construction of railroad-switchin g devices for the purpose of avoiding accidental displacement of trains from either trackby the position of the switch. V

It consists in forming the switch-operatin g devices in two parts, which are arranged to automatically engage with each ther when it is desired to slide the track to which they are attached by the switch-lever, and which parts are arranged to be instantly disengaged by an approaching locomotive, inorder that the track may be placed in the position from which it was thrown by the switch-lever.

Figure 1 is a top-plan view of my improved railroad-switch. Fig. 2 is a sectional view, illustrating the means for disengaging the partsof the shifting devices. Fig. 3 is a topplan view of the inner pivoted switch-lever. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the bell-crank lever. Fig. 5 is a sectionalview of devices shown in Figs. 3 and 4. when in workingorder. Fig. 6 is a modification of the devices shown-in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a view of the casing for the switch devices and the floor covering the trip. Fig. 8 is a view of a cover for the tripping-link. Fig. 9 shows a modification of the inner switchlever. Fig. 10 shows a device for adjusting the length of the tripping-link.

In the drawings, A A represent the main track of a railroad. B B represent the rails of that section which is arranged tobe shifted laterally in the operation of switching. O 0 represent the rails of a side track, with which the switch rails B B can be placed in line. The fixed rails are spiked or otherwise secured to the ties D D Din the ordinary or any preferred manner, these matters forming no part of the present invention. E represents a ratchet-standard of the ordinary construction, mounted in a bed-plate, E.

shaped lever, H. (Shown in'Figs. 1, 3, and 5.) This lever H, at its outer end, is provided with ,a dog, h, which is adapted to engage with a corresponding dog,f, on the inner end of the link F.

* f is a spring or guide-piece secured to and projecting beyond the inner end of the link F. It extends through the slot in the rail B, and is so shaped that when the link F :is thrust inwardly the guide part f compels the lever H to take such position that the dog h shall engage with the dog f, and thus produce an engagement between the link F and Y the lever H, so that by means of the lever F the switchmails B B can be pulled toward the section of the side track represented by O C. When the switch-rails B B are thus pulled 1:01 ward the track GO they are made to compress a springy I, which spring, byits elasticity,

tends to return the rails B B into line with the main track A A. This spring I may be of any desirable character andoperation, an elliptic springof the construction shown in Fig. 1 being, however, preferred for this pur- When a spring of the character shown is used .it may be held in place conveniently by means of a lug, i, bearing against the web of the rail B, and a lug, z", inserted in a staple, 0?,

attached to one of the ties D.

In the drawings I have shown one of the methods by which the dogs hf may be disengaged and the section B B returned by the spring I. p

Krepresents a bell-crank leveripivoted to tie D, beneath the inner end of the lever H. Thisbell-crank lever K is partially rotated on its pivot by means of a link, L, pivoted to one end of the lever; K. I

The link L extends some distance alongthe track-to atripping-lever, M, to which the link is pivoted. The tripping-lever is preferably of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it being pivoted upon a horizontal line in suitable bearings m m, and having a lower extension or arm, on, to which the link L is pivoted.

The bell-crank lever K is provided with an upwardlyprojecting stud or pin, N, Fig. 5, which projects through the lever H, said lever H having a curvilinear slot, h, to properly guide the pin in its movements.

The tripping-lever M is so arranged that when the switch-rails B B are in line with the side track 0 C said tripping-lever will be set, that is to say, the upper end of the trippinglever M will be raised to such height that when suificient weight is brought to bear upon its upper end it will pull longitudinally upon the link L, which, in turn, will partially rotate the bell-crank K, causing the stud or pin N to disengage the dog h from the dogf.

The locomotive is provided with a downwardly-projectin g arm, 0, which extends to such distance that it can bear firmly upon the top of the trip pin g-lever M, if said lever should be set by the displacement of the section B B, and, as will be readily seen, at the instant that the arm 0 upon the locomotive thus engages with the tripping-lever M the dog h is disengaged from the dogf, and the section B B is instantly caused by the spring I to slide into line with the main track A A.

The arm 0 attached to the locomotive may be of any construction suitable to accomplish the purpose above described. It should, however, be so arranged that the engineer can raise the arm 0 to such height that it will not engage with the tripping-lever M, and when thus raised the parts of the switching device will not be disengaged by the passing engine, and therefore the connection between the switch-rails B B and the side track 0 0 will not be aifected, and thus the locomotive may be caused to pass to or from the side track 6 O.

P represents a trippinglever substantially similar to the lever M. It is situated upon the side of the switch opposite to that upon which is situated the lever M. It is connected to the bell-crank lever K by means of a link, Q, operating similarly to the link L. By means of the trip P, link Q, and bell-crank lever K, a locomotive approaching the switch from the opposite direction upon the main track can cause a disengagement of the dogs 71. and f and instantly replace the switch-section B B in line with the main track A A, should said section B B be set to the siding by the switching-lever F.

In order to protect the interlocking parts of the device from interference by snow, dirt, or other matter, and to prevent interference by blows or otherwise to any of the parts, they are covered with a casing or box, B, as shown in Fig. 7.

The links L and Q may, if desired, be placed in pipes or boxes S, as is shown in Fig. 8, for the purpose of protecting them from interference or injury.

R represents a table or flooring laid upon the ties above the operative parts to give them still greater protection and security.

I have shown in Fig. 9 a modified construction of the inner switch-lever, H, which for some reasons is considered preferable to the one shown in Figs.l and 3. The lever shown in Fig. 9 extends entirely across the track, and has its outer end pivoted in a slot formed to receive it in the farther rail, B. This gives greater accuracy in the movements of the part and provides a firm support for the outer end of the lever.

In Fig. 10 I have shown adevice for adj usting the length of the tripping-links L and Q, which links may be lengthened or shortened by the action of cold or heat and by strain.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a modification of the bell-crank lever K and of the trippinglinks connected therewith. The main links L and Q, in this construction, are situated on lines substantially parallel with the rails, and are connected at their ends with the lever or plate K by means of short supplemental links 1 and q, situated in paths inclined to that of the main links L and Q.

When the lever H is of the construction shown in Fig. 9 a spring should be attached to it to hold it in position.

Instead of the slot h and the pin N, a cam may be used to release the lever H, which cam can bear directly against the lever.

What I claim is- 1. The combination, with the sliding switchsection B B, the spring I, and the switchinglever F, of the sliding lever H, pivoted to the switch-rails and provided with the dog 11., and the link F, pivoted to the switch-lever F and provided with the dog f, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the sliding section B B of the railroad-track and the spring I, of the lever H, whereby the track can be moved laterally, and the tripping devices ML K, whereby the sliding section may be released from the switch-lever, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the lever H and link F, attached to the switch-lever F, of mechanism arranged between the rails of the main track to disengage the lever H from link F, and arranged to be operated by an adjustable lever, O, attached to the locomotive at a point between the rails, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

a. The combination, with the sliding section B B and the switching devices formed in two detachable parts, of the bell-crank lever K, engaging with one of the parts of the switching device, and provided with the links L and Q, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the sliding section B B, of a switching device formed of two detachable parts, and a guide-piece carried by one of said parts, and arranged to cause the engagement of said parts, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the sliding section B B of a railroad-track, of the lever H, projecting through and pivoted in one of the rails, and the sliding link F, arranged to engage with the pivoted part H, substantially as set forth. a

7. The combination, with the sliding section B B of a railroad-track, of the switchinglever H, provided with a curvilinear slot, h, and a trip device arranged to engage with said switching-lever by means of a=pin movingin said curvilinear slot.

8. The combination of the lever H, provided with the curvilinear slot h, the bell-crank K, having the stud 'N to engage with said slot, 15 and the tripping-links L Q, substantially as set forth. l

In testimony that Ielaim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS S. TAYLOR.

Witnesses A. M. WILsoN, G. W. MORGAN. 

